Salvaging device for garbage disposal units



A. JANOWS SALVAGING DEVICE FOR GARBAGE DISPOSAL UNITS March 10, 1953Filed May 24, 1949 INVENTOR. Alex Jalwws BY Qua/ dig

Patented Mar. 10, 1953 SALVAGING DEVICE FOR GARBAGE DISPOSAL UNITS AlexJanows, Wilmette, Ill., assignor to Herlex Manufacturing 00., Chicago,111., a corporation of Illinois Application May 24, 1949, Serial No.95,011

Claims.

This invention relates to garbage disposing equipment, and specificallyto an adjunct capable of adaptation to garbage disposing units ofvarious types to prevent silverware, crockery and the like from beinginadvertently passed into the pulverizing mechanism.

While the instant invention will be described with reference to anindustrial type of disposal unit, it is not intended that the same belimited thereto, reference to a particular form of unit being by way ofexample only.

For use in restaurants and eating establishments generally a garbagedisposing unit of the comminuting or macerating type is usuallyinstalled below a work table adjacent the dishwashing machine or sink,and the waste material is scraped from the plates into a swill block orequivalent entry to the disposal unit. 'Prior devices have been soconstructed that the garbage falls directly into the grinding heads withthe consequence that, unless the operator is extremely watchful,silverware, butter chips and similar small objects may be swept into thegrinding unit. Articles thu accidentally dropped into the mechanism arenot only themselves destroyed, but serious damage to the mechanism mayresult. Moreover, articles such as silverware may clog the dischargeopening of the grinding unit with obviously serious consequences. As amatter of fact it is this hazard in particular which has seriouslydiscouraged the adoption of industrial models of garbage grinding units,and largely because dishwashing employees are generally of low mentalcaliber, and hence not likely to exercise proper caution in preventingdelivery of silverware and crockery to the disposal unit.

Accordingly one of the principal objects of this invention is to providemeans for segregating the garbage from other objects notwithstandingin-' advertent deposit of such objects into the entry of the disposalunit.

Another object is to provide such segregating means which shall beautomatic but not dependent on mechanical means.

A further object is to provide segregating means as aforesaid whichshall be readily accessible for recovery of salva ed objects from timeto time and with minimum interference with the garbage disposaloperation.

Still another object is to provide segregating means as stated fromwhich the valuable articles may be recovered without the necessity ofshutting down the machine, and with no danger of injury to the operator.

An additional aim is to provide such segregating means so constructedand arranged as to be adaptable, with perhaps only minor dimensionalalterations, to a variety of disposal units.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

Generally considered, the invention comprises a compartment or basinthrough which water is continually circulated and vigorously agitated.Assuming that the dishes have been inspected cursorily for silverwareand small articles of chinaware and are emptied of their garbage into arubber swill block or the like, all of material and objects will fallinto the compartment. Agitation of the body of water in the compartmentwill flush the relatively lighter garabage over a spillway formed by onewall 20f the compartment, while silverware, et cetera will drop to thebottom of the compartment, and there remain until removed by hand.Adjacent the spillway is arranged a funnel-like member for directing theflushed-over garabage toward the grinding mechanism.

Referring to the drawing which shows one form the invention may take inpractice:

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken on a vertical plane through theaxis of the adjunct constituting my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

As indicated heretofore, the invention structure is adaptable to garbagedisposal units of practically every presently known form, all of whichinclude a relatively fixed member and a relatively rotatable member soarranged as to pulverize the waste material and intimately to mix thesame with running water for passage through the drains and sewer pipes.By way of example, there is indicated in Fig. l a framework l0supporting a fixed grinding member I l, disposed in operative relationwith a rotatable member I2 driven by an electric motor (not shown)through a shaft 13. The workin faces of the members H and I2 may beprovided with elongated serrations or saw teeth for macerating thematerial which, being mixed intimately with run-.

ning water, will be thrown out through the space !5 to a drain connectedto the sewer piping, all as is well understood in this art.

A cylindrical housing I 6 may surround the mechanism aforesaid, andinclude a flange l? for mounting of a circular cover plate l8 by screws(not shown). Preferably carried by the flange H by any convenient meansis the principal part of the invention now to be described.

Fitted loosely within a collar 2| carried on the frame is the lower endof a substantially frusto-conical funnel member 22 of sheet metal, thelower circular opening of the member being in register with the interiorof the fixed grinding member I l Arranged to one side of the funnelmember 22 and somewhat below the plate I8 is a sheet metal compartmentor basin 23 of substantially rectangular configuration, having an outerwall 23 substantially following the contour of the housing 6, inwardlytapered side Walls 24 and 25, and an arcuate, outwardly tapered innerwall 26. This latter is so arranged that the upper edge thereofprotrudes into the funnel member 22 and is slightly rolled over to forma weir or edge 21, the entire wall 26 constituting what may be termed aspillway, and the edge 2'! being spaced from the plate [8 apredetermined amount suflicient to allow unobstructed passage of thewaste material from the compartment 23 to the tunnel member 22. Ineffect walls 24 are a continuation of the side walls of the funnelmember 22, providing for the latter at its upper region a substantiallyU-shaped con tour. Panels iii-3i may be interposed between the funnelmember 22 and wall 26 to avoid un desirable pockets therebetween.

Projecting through or into the floor 32 of the basin 24 is a watersupply nozzle 33, which may take the form of a jet, through which waterunder a pre-set pressure is permitted to flow.

Usually a rubber swill. block of conventional form is supported within acircular aperture 35 in the plate i8, and through which the garbage ispassed for delivery to the pulverizing unit. Block 36, having aresilient surface, obviates chipping of chinaware, as in understood, andis so positioned that its interior is in alignment with basin 23.

In operation water is admitted to nozzle 33 and fills the basin 23'. Dueto the pressure existing. considerable turbulence is imparted to thebody of water, and particularly that region thereof adjacent the uppersurface. Accordingly waste material delivered through the block 3'6 andfalling into the water in the basin 23 is immediately flushed over theedge 21 of the spillway' 26, into the funnel member 22, and thence tothe grinding members H and i2 for disposal as described.

It will be comprehended that almost allgarbage material is relativelylight and therefore easily flushed over by the turbulence of. the waterat 01' near the surface thereof. Even bones are disposed of in likemanner. However, articles of value, such as chi-naware, small enough. topass through the block 36, and silverware, are sumciently massive tosink to the floor 32 of basin 2.3, there to remain until retrievedthrough the block 36, this latter ordinarily being large enough to passthe operators hand and arm for such purpose. Furthermore, it will beapparent that due to the disposition of the parts, it is impossible iorthe operator, in recovering such articles of value, to thrust his hand.into the pulverizing mechanism- Should heavy bones fail to be flushedout of the basin 23, it is a simple matter for the operative, whenperiodically inspecting the basin for recoverable articles, to throwsuch bones over the edge 2'! for. proper disposal.

By inwardly inclining the wall 26 flow of water and waste materialtoward the funnel member 22 is facilitated. Lip 21 provides a spout-likeaction to carry the material well toward the center of the grindingunit, and consequent uniform distribution thereof over the wholeavailable pulverizing surface.

Moreover by positioning the nozzle 33 toward the outside of the basin23, it has been found that maximum turbulence is afforded, and in adirection toward the lip 21. Obviously it is desirable to so dimensionthe upper periphery of basin 23 as to permit proper retention of themaximum length of object intended to be salvaged, e. g. a table knife.Furthermore nozzle 33 may be covered with a screen or perforated plateto prevent solid objects of any kind from entering therein. If desired,the nozzle may enter the basin 23 at a position other than that shown.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention, it will beunderstood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited thereto, sincemany modifications may be made, and I therefore contemplate by theappended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the truespirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. An adjunct for a garbage disposal unit of the type wherein thematerial is fed substantially vertically toward the macerating mechanismcomprising a passage for guiding the material to the mechanism, and acompartment adjacent said. passage for reception of the material, saidcompartment having at least a portion of one wall adjacent said passageand a floor, and said one wall forming a spillway, means for introducingwater under pressure into said compartment for flushing the materialover said spillway into said passage, said means comprising a waterinlet pipe, entering said floor at a pointr opposite said one wall.

2. An adjunct for a garbage disposal unit of the: type wherein thematerial is fed substantially vertically toward the macerating mechanismcomprising a supporting plate; an inverted frusto-ccnical funnel memberfor delivery of material to the mechanism carried by said supportingplate, an open-top material-receiving compartment adjacent said funnelmember and. having an inwardly disposed wall substantially coextensivewith a portion of the wall of said memher and. a floor, a chute fordirecting the material into the compartment having its openingsubstantially coextensive with the transverse cross sectional area ofvsaid compartment, 2. waterdelivering nozzle opening into said floor,said inwardly disposed compartment wall forming a spillway whereby waterentering said nozzle flushes disposable material over said spillway andinto said funnel. member and non-disposable objects are retained in saidcompartment, said nozzle entering said floor at a point displaced to oneside of said chute opening.

3. An adjunct for a garbage disposal unit wherein the material is fedsubstantially vertically toward the macerating mechanism comprising asupporting plate, a material receiving chute carried by said plate anddisplaced to one side of the mechanism, a funnel-like member suspendedfrom said plate and having a discharge opening disposed over theentrance to the mechanism, said member having a pocket in one wall. forreception of material deposited through said chute, said pocket having afloor substantially coextensive with the opening in said chute and--transverse thereto, said pocket and funnel having a common dividingwall, said wall terminat-- ing at its upper edge below said plate todefine a passage between said pocket and member, and said floor havingan opening therein for delivery of water to said pocket.

4. An adjunct as recited in claim 3 in which the opening is positionedat a point remote from said dividing wall and beyond the principal zoneof delivery of material to the pocket.

5. An adjunct for a garbage disposal unit of the type wherein thematerial is fed substantially vertically toward the maceratingmechanism, comprising a funnel-like member in communication with themechanism, a compartment adjacent said member for receiving material tobe macerated, said compartment having a floor, said member andcompartment having a common wall portion, said portion having anopening, a chute for delivery of material into the compartment 'oversubstantially the central area thereof, said compartment having a ffiuidentrance in said floor for delivery of water under pressure to saidcompartment, said entrance being displaced to one side of said area awayfrom said opening, whereby relatively lighter macerable material isflushed out of said compartment through said opening into saidfunnel-like member, and relatively heavier objects interspersed withsaid material are retained in the compartment.

ALEX JANOWS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the

